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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Abby Finds Her Calling by Naomi King ~ PUYB Blog tour with review

About Abby Finds Her Calling:

Bad enough that Zanna abandoned James Graber and disgraced her family on her wedding day: older sister Abby Lambright is the one Zanna returns to, to reveal she’s pregnant. As speculation whirls around Cedar Creek, Zanna confesses and is shunned, yet refuses to reveal the identity of her child’s father. She spends her time at Abby’s little house making rag rugs, until finally—when Adah Ropp insists on knowing who disgraced Zanna, the Lambright family, as well as James and the Graber family–Zanna reveals that Adah’s own son, rebellious Jonny Ropp, is to blame. She can’t possibly marry Jonny because he’s left his family rather than be baptized into the Amish faith—not that he’ll ever settle down and marry anyone.

ABBY FINDS HER CALLING as she guides her sister through some tough times while convincing her family—and even the bishop—that because Zanna truly loves this baby, she should keep it rather than giving it up for adoption. Meanwhile, because Abby has always been in love with James (who is oblivious to the torch she carries) she tries to soothe his emotional wounds as he watches the young woman he was to marry swell with Jonny Ropp’s child.
When disaster strikes, however, and the Ropp home burns to the ground in December, the folks in Cedar Creek put forgiveness into action . . . and even Jonny is changed by the power of this love! This time Zanna shows up for her wedding, with baby Harley charming all who meet him—and their ceremony sets the stage for the second book of the Home at Cedar Creek series, due out in October, 2012.

My take on this book:

Amish fiction is one of my favorite genres to read, but sometimes the plots start mirroring each other but once in a while I find story that has me flying thru the pages to see how things will work out, and that's just what I found with "Abby Finds Her Calling."

Abby Lambright is considered to be a spinster in her Amish community. She always turns down suitors because the boy she has been in love with since grade school is in love with someone else, actually planned on marrying someone else. She has always kept these feelings well hidden, because the one she has feelings for,James Graber, actually planned on marrying her sister Suzanna. When he shows up for the wedding though, Zanna is gone, and the wedding is off. When Zanna comes back and shares the truth of why she can't marry James, because she is pregnant with someone else's child, someone who has left the community. Will a baby be able to bring a lost soul home again, and how will the community accept Zanna and her baby? Read this fantastic story and find out!

I really liked the way this story was presented. It's about Zanna and the choices she makes, but it is also about Abby and her faith,her willingness to work and sacrifice, her willingness to stand by her sister. I loved the character of Abby. She was someone who decided to remain unmarried rather than settle. I also found it interesting that as a single woman she owned her own house. I liked the sense of community that I felt in the town of Cedar Creek, it was easy to become immersed in the lives of the characters. The plot moved along at a brisk pace, and for me there was never a down time. While I was pleased with the ending for Zanna, I was left hoping for something more for Abby. I have my fingers crossed that her story might continue in another book. I loved my visit to Cedar Creek and will certainly be watching for the next book in the series titled "Rosemary Opens Her Heart" due out in Oct. 2012.

Overall fans of Amish fiction will love this story, but anyone who enjoys a good story about community, families and faith, will also be drawn to this story.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Naomi King actually writes under the pen name of Charolette Hubbard as well. I had the privilege of reading "Summer Of Secrets" a few weeks ago,you can click here to read my review. I highly recommend both books to fans of Amish fiction!

To follow along on the tour or to read an excerpt of this book click here.

About Naomi King:

Drawing upon her experiences in Jamesport, the largest Old Order Amish community west of the Mississippi, longtime Missourian Naomi King writes of simpler times and a faith-based lifestyle in her new Home at Cedar Creek series. Like her series heroine, Abby Lambright, Naomi considers it her personal mission to be a listener—to heal broken hearts and wounded souls—and to share her hearth and home. Faith and family, farming and frugality are hallmarks of her lifestyle: like Abby, she made her wedding dress and the one her mom wore, too! She’s a deacon, a dedicated church musician and choir member, and when she’s not writing, she loves to travel, try new recipes, crochet, and sew. Naomi now lives in Minnesota with her husband and their border collie, Ramona.